Head of Finance

LOCATION: Bishop Burton, East Yorkshire
SALARY: £55,000 – £65,000, 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays, your birthday off and a Christmas shutdown, fantastic pension scheme, company health scheme, parking etc.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Bishop Burton College as Head of Finance, leading the financial management and day-to-day finance operations across its Bishop Burton and Riseholme campuses.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced finance professional who can combine strong technical and operational oversight with a forward-looking, commercial approach. You will develop the Finance function’s strategic capability, strengthen business partnering and ensure high-quality financial information supports decision-making across the College.

WHY THIS ROLE STANDS OUT

• Lead and develop the Finance function across two established college campuses.
• Work closely with the Executive Team, senior leaders, budget holders and Governors.
• Shape the College’s financial strategy, planning and long-term sustainability.
• Support a diverse organisation with multiple income streams and commercial activities.
• Drive improvements across systems, controls, reporting and business partnering with a modern approach.
• Lead an experienced team covering management accounting, procurement, transactional finance and credit control.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Leading, managing and developing the College’s Finance Department.
• Overseeing management accounting, financial accounting, procurement, purchase ledger, sales ledger, credit control and cashiering.
• Leading annual budgets, medium-term financial plans, forecasts and financial projections.
• Producing accurate monthly management accounts, variance analysis and financial reporting.
• Providing strategic financial advice and constructive challenge to the Executive Team and senior managers.
• Preparing statutory financial statements and managing the annual external audit.
• Overseeing statutory, regulatory and funding returns, including submissions to the Department for Education.
• Developing effective business-partnering relationships with budget holders across the College.
• Improving the use of financial analysis and management information to identify risks, pressures and opportunities.
• Supporting commercial activities including farming, agriculture, equine, residential services, catering, conferences and events.
• Developing costing, pricing and profitability analysis across commercial and land-based activities.
• Supporting business cases, capital investment appraisals and new commercial opportunities.
• Strengthening financial controls, policies, procedures and Financial Regulations.
• Leading improvements to financial systems, processes, technology and automation.
• Promoting greater financial awareness and accountability across the College.
• Developing the Finance team’s strategic, analytical and business-partnering capability.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Full accountancy qualification and current membership of ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA.
• Significant post-qualification experience in a senior finance leadership position.
• Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a finance team.
• Strong financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and management accounting expertise.
• Experience preparing statutory financial statements and managing external audits.
• A track record of developing financial controls, systems and processes.
• Experience working within a large or complex organisation with multiple income streams.
• The ability to provide clear strategic financial advice to senior leaders and governing bodies.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge combined with commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage non-finance stakeholders.
• Advanced Excel and financial systems capability.
• A strategic mindset combined with strong operational oversight.

Experience within Further or Higher Education, commercial operations or land-based activities would be advantageous but is not essential.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

• £55,000 – £65,000 DOE
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, your birthday off and a two-week shut down over Christmas
• Hybrid working environment
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme – a generous defined benefit pension with significant employer contributions.
• Health Scheme
• Staff wellbeing programme
• A senior and influential role within a diverse, established organisation.
• The opportunity to shape the future direction of the College’s Finance function.
• Scope to lead meaningful improvements across reporting, systems and business partnering.
• Ongoing professional development.
• The opportunity to work across the Bishop Burton and Riseholme campuses.

WHY EMMERSON KITNEY?

At Emmerson Kitney, we Recruit Different. We’re committed to building long-term relationships with our clients and candidates, taking the time to understand what matters most to you. We work in true partnership to match talented professionals with outstanding career opportunities.

WHAT NEXT?

If you’re an experienced finance leader looking for an influential role where you can shape financial strategy, develop a team and support the future sustainability of a leading College, we’d love to hear from you.

To apply, please follow the directions on the website. Alternatively, for more information and a full outline of the role, please contact Sam Horton on 01482 628808 for a confidential discussion.

This is a retained search with Emmerson Kitney. All third-party applications will be forwarded to us as the exclusive recruitment partner.

Bishop Burton College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. The successful candidate will be required to undertake the appropriate pre-employment and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.